The present invention relates generally to fasteners, and more particularly to side airbag retention systems and fasteners therefore.
Supplemental restraint systems or airbags have become an important safety feature in today's automobiles. At least one known supplemental restraint system includes a driver's side airbag that is mounted in the steering column and a passenger side airbag that is mounted in the vehicle dashboard. To further increase passenger safety, at least some known vehicles include a side airbag inflatable curtain system (SABIC). The SABIC system is installed within the vehicle using a side airbag retention system.
At least one known side airbag retention system includes a panel member having several openings therethrough. Prior to the airbag being deployed, the panel member covers and protects the side airbag. The panel member is generally attached to the vehicle chassis using a plurality of known fasteners that are inserted through the panel member to secure the panel member to the vehicle chassis. During operation, when the side airbag is deployed, the panel member separates from the vehicle chassis and may become a projectile. To enable the panel member to separate from the chassis and thus allow the airbag to deploy, at least one known fastener includes a tether.
More specifically, the known fastener includes a housing having a hollow interior to receive the tether. The known tether is fabricated using a flexible fiber material. The tether also has a predetermined length that is based on the amount of separation desired between the vehicle chassis and the panel member. For example, assuming the tether has a length of one one-half inch, when the airbag is deployed, the tether will limit the movement between the chassis and the panel member to one-half inch. Since, the size of the opening in the fastener housing is less than the length of the tether, the tether is bent or coiled to fit within the fastener housing.
However, assuming that a customer desires that the panel member be displaced by one inch during deployment, the length of the tether must also be increased. As a result, either the height of the fastener housing must be increased to accept the tether having the increased length or the tether must be more tightly stored within the known fastener housing. Increasing the height of the fastener housing may cause styling issues as the size of the fastener housing becomes undesirable. However, maintaining the size of the known fastener housing results in a tether, having an increased length, being more tightly coiled and then stored in the fastener housing. In either configuration, the known tether is deformed in the stowed position, causing increase stress to the tether that may weaken the tether causing the tether to break when the airbag is deployed. Additionally, increased force may be applied to the fastener housing by the tether in the stowed position causing the fastener housing to separate from the chassis when the airbag is not deployed.
A need remains for a fastener clip that performs the intended function of holding the panel member to the vehicle chassis and while allowing the panel member to separate but not completely detach from the vehicle chassis, while also eliminating the need for a tether to secure the panel member when the airbag is deployed.